Freight container and gripping and lifting attachment therefor

ABSTRACT

CONTAINER FOR FREIGHT HAVING LIFTING ATTACHMENTS ADAPTED FOR TONG LIFTING DEVICES. THE CONTAINER HAS RECTANGULAR PARALLEL VERTICAL SIDE AND END WALLS AND A REINFORCING BEAM STRUCTURE EXTENDING ABOUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER. THE SIDE WALLS HAVE GRIPPING RECESSES THEREIN SPACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG AND FORMING RECEPTACLES FOR LIFT MEMBERS CONNECTED WITH THE BOTTOM SIDE BEAMS OF THE CONTAINER. LIFT BLOCKS, ON THE LOWER ENDS OF CONVENTIONAL LIFT TONGS ARE MOVED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LIFT MEMBERS BY THE TONGS, TO LIFT THE CONTAINER VERTICALLY UPON VERTICAL LIFTING MOVEMENTS OF THE   TONGS. IN THE PRINCIPAL FORM OF THE INVENTION, THE LIFT MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE BOTTOM SIDE BEAMS OF THE CONTAINER THROUGH FLEXIBLE DRAFT DEVICES. IN ANOTHER FORM OF THE INVENTION, THE LIFT MEMBERS ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH THE BOTTOM SIDE BEAMS OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVE LIFTING SOCKETS THEREIN.

March 2, 1971 J, BRlDGE 3,,fi?,2@

FREIGHT CONTAINER AND GRIPPING AND LIFTING ATTACHMENT THEREFOR FiledOct. 15, 1968 s Sheets-Sheet A FIG.!

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INVENTOR JOHN BFUDGE TTORNEYS' Mmh 2, 1971 J. BRIDGE T wemw FREIGHTCONTAINER AND GRIPPING AND LIFTING ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed Oct. 15,1968 r 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN BRIDGE w m TO R N EYS March 2,1971 BRIDGE FREIGHT CONTAINER AND GRIPPING AND LIFTING ATTACHMENTTHEREFOR Filed Oct, 15. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR JOHN BRIDGEUnited States Patent 3,567 266 FREIGHT CONTAINER AND GRIPPING ANDLIFTING ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Container for freight having liftingattachments adapted for tong lifting devices. The container hasrectangular parallel vertical side and end walls and a reinforcing beamstructure extending about the bottom of the container. The side wallshave gripping recesses therein spaced longitudinally therealong andforming receptacles for lift members connected with the bottom sidebeams of the container. Lift blocks, on the lower ends of conventionallift tongs are moved into engagement with the lift members by the tongs,to lift the container vertically upon vertical lifting movements of thetongs. In the principal form of the invention, the lift members areconnected with the bottom side beams of the container through flexibledraft devices. In another form of the invention, the lift members aredirectly connected with the bottom side beams of the container and havelifting sockets therein.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A principal object of the present invention isto provide an improved container having lifting members formed as a partof the container, adjacent the bottom of the container and havinglifting connection with the bottom side beams of the container, toenable the container to be readily lifted and lowered by the lift tongsof tong lifting devices commonly used for placing containers on thefreight vehicles and removing the containers therefrom, and so arrangedas to avoid buckling or deforming of the container as lifted andlowered.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon the freightcontainers heretofore in use, by so constructing the container as tohave lifting members recessed in and formed as a part of the side wallsof the container and directly connected with the bottom side beams ofthe container.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved form offreight container having lifting attachments as a part thereof, a recesstherein particularly adapted for use with tong lift devices commonlyused for placing freight containers on and removing freight containersfrom freight transporting vehicles and exerting lifting forces on thecontainer, inwardly of the ends thereof, to avoid buckling or distortionof the container during the lifting operation thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple andimproved form of lifting system for freight containers, adapting thecontainers to be lifted by conventional tong lift lifting devices, inwhich longitudinally spaced lift members are recessed within the wallsof the container adjacent the bottom thereof and have lifting connectionwith the container by flexible draft devices and in which lift blockscarried by the conventional lift tongs of a tong lifting device aremovable laterally into engagement with the lift members within thelateral margins of the freight container, for lifting and lowering thecontainer by operation of the tong lifting devices.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

3,567,266 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a tong lift truck positioned to one side of afreight container constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention, showing the lifting tongs of the tong lift truck inposition to have lifting engagement with the freight container.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the container shown in FIG. 1 withcertain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in sectionshowing one lift tong and block carried thereby in position to lift oneside of the container upon vertical lifting movement of the lift tongsand showing the opposite lift tong coming into lifting interengagementwith the container.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a freight containerconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention,with certain parts broken away and shown in section in order to moreclearly illustrate the lifting mechanism constructed in accordance withone form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary transverse sectional view takensubstantially along line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial fragmentary transverse sectional view takensubstantially along line VV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a partial fragmentary transverse sectional view taken througha freight container and illustrating another form in which the inventionmay be embodied.

FIG. 7 is a partial fragmentary sectional view somewhat similar to FIG.-6 but showing the lift block and lift tong removed from the container.

FIG. 8 is a partial fragmentary side view of the lift member, lookingsubstantially along line VIIIVIII of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial fragmentary view of a lift tong having alift block pivotally carried thereby,

adjacent the lower end of the lift tong; and

FIG. 10 is a view of the lift block looking generally along line XX ofFIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION In the form of theinvention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, I have shown afreight container 10 of a type adapted to be loaded onto railway cars,trailers,

trucks, ships and the like, and have shown a side lift tong truck 11backed up along one side of the container 10 in lifting engagement withthe container, to lift the container and lower it onto a railway car,ship, or other freight transporting vehicle.

The freight container 10 is of a generally rectangular box-like form andmay be of various selected lengths and of widths substantially equal tothe width of a railway car. The container 10 has parallel side walls 12and end walls 13 connecting the side walls together. The top, bottom,side and end walls of the container are usually made from a relativelythin metal skin secured to and reinforced by a supporting andreinforcing frame structure including side beams "15 and end beams 16connecting the side beams together. Corner posts 17 extend upwardly ofthe side and end beams along the corners of the container and for theheight of the container. One or both end walls 13 may have doors therein(not shown) extending for substantially the width of the container toaccommodate the container to be loaded from an end thereof.

Recessed within the side walls '12 of the container, adjacent the bottomthereof and adjacent but spaced inwardly of opposite ends thereof, arelongitudinally spaced recessed portions 19 opening to the outer sides ofthe side walls 12. Four recessed portions are usually provided for eachcontainer. Said recessed portions are generally rectangular in form andopen outwardly of the container and extend upwardly of the side beams15.

Each recessed portion 19 is defined by a top wall 20, end walls 21,extending from the associated beam to said top wall and a back wall 22.A lift member or bar 23 is guided between the end walls 21 for verticallifting movement with respect thereto, and has lifting connection withthe beam 15, as by flexible draft devices 24 connected with said liftbar adjacent opposite ends thereof and having lifting connection withthe side beam 15 of the container, as will hereinafter more clearlyappear as this specification proceeds.

The lift bar 23 is guided adjacent its opposite ends in vertical guides25 formed in vertical guide bars 26 extending along the end walls 21 ofthe recessed portion 19 of the container. The guides 25 are channeledguides opening toward each other and terminate at their lower ends intostops 27, shown as being formed integrally with the guide bars 26 andextending inwardly therefrom. The lift bar 23 has brackets 29 secured toopposite sides thereof and depending therefrom and forming supports forpivot pins 30 for sheaves 31 carried on said pivot pins. The flexibledraft devices 24 extend about the sheaves 31 intermediate their ends,and depend therefrom and extend through a top flange 33 of a side beam15 and are connected thereto at their opposite ends as by nuts 35, whichmay be lock nuts.

Thus, on lifting movement of the lift bar 23, the lifting forces thereofare transmitted to the beam 15 through the cables or flexible draftdevices 24, spaced from the center of and adjacent opposite ends of saidlift bar. It will be noted that a space is left between the top of thelift bar 23 and the top wall 20 of the recess 19, which accommodateslimited freedom of movement of the lift bar and transfers the liftingforces to the beam 15, prior to engagement of the lift bar with the topwall 20. The nuts 35 may adjust the spacing between the top of the liftbar 23 and the top wall 20 of the recess 19 as the flexible draftdevices 24 are under tension, and compensate for stretching of thecables.

Referring now in particular to the lifting means for the lift bars 23and container 10, a plurality of lift tongs 36 extend downwardly of alift carriage 37 of the tong lift truck 11 along one side of thecontainer 10. Said lift tongs are retained from swinging movement towardand from the side wall 12 of the container but may swing about theirupper end portions parallel to the wall of the container in aconventional manner.

A plurality of lift tongs 39 depend from the lift carriage 37 and aremounted thereon for movement about axes I extending longitudinally ofthe container toward and from the opposite side wall 12 of the container10, as indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 2. The connection of the lifttongs 39 to the lift carriage 37 and the means for moving said lifttongs toward and from the associated side wall 12 of the container isconventional with tong type lift trucks of the class illustrated in FIG.1, so need not herein be shown or described further.

The lift tongs 36 and 39 each have a lift block 41 pivoted on the lowerend thereof on a pivot pin 42 for movement about an axis extendinglongitudinally of the container 10. Each lift block 41 has a bifurcatedconnector 43 extending outwardly therefrom, the furcations of whichextend along opposite sides of the associated lift tong 36 or 39 andform a mounting for the pivot pin 42. The lift block 41 is generallyrectangular in form with a greater portion of the body of the lift blockextending upwardly of the pivot pin 42 to effect pivotal movement of thelift block in a generally downward direction towards the container, asillustrated in FIG. 2, so the top portion of the lift block leads thebottom portion thereof, as inserted in the recess 19. Each lift block 41is shown as having a shoulder 44 engageable with the bottom surface ofthe lift bar 23 and terminating at its inner end in a tongue 45extending upwardly there- 4 from along the inner portion of the lift bar23, when the lift block is in its lifting position shown in FIG. 4.

Each lift block 41, therefore, is inserted in an associated recess 19 byits lift tong 36 or 39 depending upon the side of the container the liftblock is located, with the lift block disposed entirely beneath the liftbar 23 and the tongue of the lift block inclined to lead the bottom ofthe lift block and pass beneath the lift bar 23. As the lift block ismoved into engagement with the rear wall of the recess 19, said wallwill cam the lift block into an upright position, with the tongue 45disposed inwardly of the lift bar 23. Raising movement of the lift tongsupporting said lift block will then move the shoulder 44 intoengagement with the underside of the lift bar 23, with the tongue 45disposed inwardly of said lift bar, to lift the lift bar 23 and therebylift the container through the flexible draft devices or cables 24.

In operation of the lifting device, the lifting tongs 36 are positionedto extend along one side of the container by manipulation of the trucksupporting said lift tongs, with the lift blocks 41 in registry with therecesses 19. The truck is then backed toward the container to insert thelift blocks 41 within the recesses 19 into engagement with the rear wallthereof, with the tongues 45 beneath and spaced inwardly of the liftbars 23. Continued backing of the truck will then bring the lift blocks41 on the lift tongues into the upright position shown in FIG. 4.

The opposite lift tongs 39 being positioned by the lift truck inregistry with the recesses 19 on the opposite side of the container fromthe lift tongs 36, are then pivoted inwardly toward the side wall 12 ofthe container by power, until the lift blocks 41 engage the inner wallof the recesses 19 and are cammed thereby into upright lifting positionsupon continued movement of the lift tongs 39 toward the wall 12 of thecontainer. When the lift blocks 41 on the lift tongs 39 have beeninserted Within the recesses 19 and cammed into upright positions, thecarriage 37 on the lift truck 11 may then be moved vertically in aconventional manner, to thereby lift the container 10 above the deck ofthe vehicle (not shown) on which the container is to be loaded. The lifttruck 11 is then backed to move the container 10 over the vehicle. Thecarriage 37 is then lowered to deposit the container on the vehicledeck, at which time the lift tongs 39 are moved outwardly into generalhorizontal positions to clear the container loaded on the vehicle, andthe lift truck is then moved away from the vehicle.

In the form of the invention ilustrated in FIGS. 6 to 10 inclusive, Ihave shown a lift socket 46 formed in a rectangular lift member 47recessed in a recessed portion 19 in a side wall 12 of a container 10,and forming a lifting member for the container. The lift member 47 isdirectly mounted on a side beam 15 of the container, as by welding orany other suitable securing means, to lift the container from the bottomside beam thereof, and to thereby relieve the container of bucklingstresses, during transfer of the container from one vehicle to another,or from the ground directly onto a vehicle, a ship and the like.

In this form of the invention, the rear wall of the socket 46 tapersoutwardly from the top thereof, and is also contoured inwardly fromopposite sides thereof in the general form of the surface of a sphere.

A retainer gib 48 extends downwardly from the top of the socket 46 for ashort portion of the height thereof and is spaced outwardly of the rearwall of said socket to retain a pivoted lift block 49 into engagementwith the wall of the socket 46. A centering tongue 50 is disposed in thecenter of the space between the retainer gib 48 and the rear wall of thesocket and converges toward the lower end thereof, to center a liftblock 51 as moved into the socket 46 and lifted upwardly along the rearwall of said socket into lifting engagement with the lift member 47.

The lift block 51 has a face 53 generally conforming to the face of theinner wall of the socket 46, the bulk of which face is of a generallyspherical contour. Said lift block 51 also has a shouldered portion 55engaging under the retainer gib 48 to effect lifting movement of saidcontainer upon lifting movement of said lift block. The top portion ofthe lift block 51 has a recessed portion 56 generally conforming to theform of a tongue '50 and centering the lift block 51 in the socket 46upon upward lifting movement of said lift block.

Each lift block 51, like the lift blocks 41, has a bifurcated connector57 extending outwardly therefrom, the furcations of which extend alongopposite sides of a lift tong 36 or 39. A pivot pin 60 is provided topivotally connect the lift block 51 to the associated lift tong andextends through the furcations of the bifurcated connector 57 and isdisposed a substantial distance beneath and offset from the center ofgravity of the lift block 51, to effect pivotal movement of the liftblock outwardly of the lift tong 36 with the lower end portion of theliftb lock stopped by engaging the bottom of said lift tong.

It should be understood that the lift tongs 36 and 39 on opposite sidesof the container each support a lift block 51 in the same manner as inthe form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, and that thetongs move the lift blocks into the socket 46 into the lifing positionshown in FIG. 6, to lift the container from the bottom side beamsthereof, and that the disclosure of FIGS. 6 to 10 of the inventionoperates in a manner similar to that of the invention disclosed in FIGS.1 to 5, except the lift members recessed in the side walls of thecontainer are directly connected to the bottom side beams thereof,rather than through flexible draft devices in the form of cables, as inthe form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invenion:

1. A container for freight and the like having parallel side and endwalls and reinforcing beams extending about the bottom thereof andproviding a rigid base framework for said container,

at least two longitudinally spaced outwardly opening recessed portionsin each side wall, opening to the side beams of the container,

lift members mounted within said recessed portions and having liftingconnection with said side beams, flexible draft devices connecting saidlift members with said side beams, and

means engageable with said lift members and mounted for vertical liftingmovement, to lift said lift members and container and transfer thelifting forces to said container along th side beams thereof andinwardly of the ends thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1,

wherein the lift members are slidably guided in said recessed portions,and

wherein means are provided to limit downward movement of said liftmembers.

3. The structure of claim 2,

wherein the flexible draft devices are adjacent opposite ends of saidlift members and are liftingly connected with said side beams, and

wherein means are provided for adjusting the lengths of said flexibledraft devices.

4. The structure of claim 3,

wherein the flexible draft devices have bights intermediate their ends,

wherein sheaves depend from said lift members adjacent opposite endsthereof, and

wherein the bights of said flexible draft devices are trained about saidsheaves.

5. The structure of claim 1,

wherein the means engageable with said lift members is in the form of alift block having lifting engagement With each lifting member, and

wherein lift tongs have pivotal connection with said lift blocks andsupport said lift blocks for movement about axes extendinglongitudinally of the container to effect lifting movement of thecontainer upon vertical lifting movement of said lift blocks.

6. The structure of claim 5,

wherein the pivotal connections of each lift block to its lift tong isadjacent the lower end of said lift block and to one side of the centerthereof to bias said lift block by gravity to position the upper end ofsaid lift block, to lead said tongs and be cammed by the recessedportions of said container to come into a lifting position with saidlift member as said lift tongs are moved towards the container and thenmoved vertically to lift said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,443 11/1938 Kepler 29467.4C

2,664,219 12/1953 Schmidt 220-15 FOREIGN PATENTS 762,338 7/1967 Canada294-l06 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner G. F. ABRAHAM, AssistantExaminer

